HOUSTON -- The story is well-known by now, how Alex Cora called his boss, Dave Dombrowski, to suggest it was time to move on from Hanley Ramirez.
The Red Sox needed to make a move to get Dustin Pedroia on the 25-man roster, and Cora believed designating Ramirez for assignment was the way to go.
"We had been talking about different scenarios since February," Cora said. "We knew that day was coming. We talked about it. I can't even remember how many scenarios we had. It just happened that where we were we felt it was the right move."
So now, on the day Ramirez officially becomes a free agent, one of the most important aspects of the entire maneuver should be reflected on. Cora was actually empowered to let his voice guide the way when it came to managing this roster.
It's not to say that Dombrowski didn't listen to John Farrell in previous years. But the relationship had clearly turned sour toward the end of that tenure, perhaps making these kinds of scenarios uncertain. It was why the willingness to listen to the manager was a point of emphasis when Cora ultimately interviewed for the Red Sox job.
"That was part of the interview. We talked about that," Cora said. "I think he will always listen. But at the end of the day, he will make the decision. The way I see it, if I'm not communicating what I feel or what I think is going to be the best for the roster or the organization, I'm not doing my job. Since I've been off the field, that's I've felt, that the manager should be involved. Let (the general manager) know what's going on and then we'll make decisions."
Part of Cora prioritizing the voice of the manager isn't only because he now sits in that chair. He had witnessed the importance of the dynamic when serving as the general manager for Criollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rico Winter League.
There was the time, for instance, that Caguas manager Luis Matos went to bat for bringing in outfielder Rico Noel after Rusney Castillo left the team.
"Yeah, and it didn't work out," Cora remembered. "We were looking for an outfielder. He said, 'This is the guy.' I'm like 'Why?' He said, 'Because he can do this, do that and he will be great.' He went down there, he wasn't good and he left. Luis was like, 'This is the last time I'm going to recommend a player.' But at the same time, I trusted him. I told him, 'It happens.'
"That experience helped me out for whatever is coming. I do feel like communication is a very important part of this dynamic."
It remains to be seen if the Ramirez recommendation will pan out. But if nothing else the process was one that should already be a positive.
